Chapter 905: You're Overthinking It, Mr. Yucang. I'm a Man of My Word.

After Gong Lince returned to Zijin Cave, he did not come over himself. Instead, he had Yan Li accompany Yucang to the Maolu Annex.

Yan Li looked over the noisy crowd that had suddenly appeared, people coming and going everywhere, and felt somewhat put out. This was Zijin Cave, after all.

But he had already agreed to Niu Youdao's request, so it was too late to go back on his word.

Niu Youdao strode quickly into the annex. Still some distance away, he raised his sword in one hand and cupped his fist with the other. "Mr. Yucang, you've honored us with your presence, and I failed to go out to welcome you!"

"Haha! Brother, there's no need for ceremony between us." Yucang cupped his hands in return. "Congratulations! I came in a hurry, so this is only a small token for the occasion. I hope you won't look down on it." He glanced back, signaling his disciple Dugu Jing to present a box.

"You're too courteous, Mr. Yucang." Niu Youdao's mouth was polite, but his hand was not slow. He motioned for Guan Fangyi to accept it, then said, "You look positively radiant. I take it you've already secured your place in Misty Pavilion?"

Yucang answered with modest restraint, "I have everyone's regard and Misty Pavilion's favor to thank."

"Congratulations." Niu Youdao cupped his hands again, then gestured inward. "Come, let's sit inside."

The group entered the main hall. Once they were seated and tea had been served, Niu Youdao invited them to drink, then smiled. "Mr. Yucang, your timing is perfect. Those people who lent me a hand in the Tiandu Secret Realm should be sent over to me by now, shouldn't they?"

At the mention of this, Yucang put down his teacup, slapped his thigh, and sighed. "I came precisely to speak with you about that. I arranged for them to come some days ago, but who would have thought they would be ambushed on the way? Not one survived. My arrangements were inadequate. I failed the trust you placed in me!"

What a coincidence. Niu Youdao's gaze sharpened. His eyes deepened as he stared at Yucang.

Yucang's expression did not change. He still looked stricken with grief.

Yan Li, seated beside them, looked from one man to the other and sensed that something was wrong.

After a long moment, Niu Youdao slowly asked, "Do you know who killed them?"

Yucang shook his head. "No. But it's not hard to guess. Nine times out of ten, it was the remnants of Zhao."

"Oh." Niu Youdao slowly raised his tea and took a measured sip.

Remnants of Zhao? He did not believe that for a moment. Nine times out of ten, Xiaoyue Pavilion itself had done it.

Back in the Tiandu Secret Realm, the eyes and ears Xiaoyue Pavilion had planted inside to help him had effectively exposed themselves before him in the process. By Xiaoyue Pavilion's rules, anyone exposed could no longer be allowed to move freely. To protect the rest of the network, both above and below them, such people might even be silenced. At the time, Niu Youdao had promised Ji Yude and the others that once it was over, he would have them transferred to Nanzhou.

After leaving the Tiandu Secret Realm, he had indeed spoken to Yucang about it. Yucang had not dared refuse then, but he had insisted that the people would only be released after the matter was done. First, Niu Youdao had to help him get the uprising under way. It had amounted to keeping a small piece of leverage in hand.

Now the matter was done, yet every one of those people had been killed.

As Niu Youdao slowly drank his tea, he blamed himself in silence. He could hardly blame Xiaoyue Pavilion for this; he could only blame his own carelessness. In the end, he simply had not taken the matter seriously enough and had made no further preparations. As a result, he had broken his word, and those people had died.

In a sense, perhaps he had been the one who got them killed. If he had never asked for them, Xiaoyue Pavilion might merely have kept them under a certain degree of control rather than deciding to silence them.

Yucang was counting on the fact that Niu Youdao would not fall out with him over something so small.

"A pity." After considering it, Niu Youdao said only those two words and slowly set down his teacup.

Yucang sighed. "Indeed, a pity. Don't worry. Xiaoyue Pavilion will not let this matter rest. We will investigate it to the end and find some way to drag out the real killers and avenge them!"

"Mm." Niu Youdao nodded, then turned to Yan Li. "Elder Yan, didn't you have something else to attend to?"

Something else? Yan Li froze. What did I have to attend to?

A moment later, he understood. He was being dismissed. Niu Youdao was openly telling him that he and Yucang had private matters to discuss and asking him to make himself scarce.

Yan Li was not so tactless as to remain. He rose and cupped his hands to Yucang. "Mr. Yucang, I still have some matters to see to. I'll excuse myself for now. We can speak again later."

"Of course, of course. A guest follows the host's arrangements." Yucang stood and returned the salute, then waved for Dugu Jing to see him out.

Yan Li waved him off, indicating there was no need, then said to Niu Youdao, "So many people arrived at once. I'll have disciples come later to verify everyone's identity and make a record. Have your people cooperate."

Niu Youdao understood. With so many people suddenly staying inside Zijin Cave itself, there was no way the sect would let them mix in without even finding out who they were or what their identities were. If something happened, who would answer for it?

"Fine. Hongniang, arrange it," Niu Youdao instructed over his shoulder.

"Rest assured, Elder Yan." Guan Fangyi nodded.

After Yan Li left, Niu Youdao smiled at Yucang again. "You didn't travel all this way solely to congratulate me, did you?" His eyes flicked toward Dugu Jing. The implication was clear: a matter like congratulations could have been handled by a disciple. For someone of Yucang's status, equal to Sect Leader Gong Lince, to come personally seemed unnecessary.

Yucang did not circle around the subject. He went straight to it. "His Majesty has never stopped thinking of his honored teacher. He misses you greatly, Brother."

His Majesty? Niu Youdao did not react at first. After a brief pause, he realized Yucang meant Xia Lingpei, that student he had picked up along the way. He chuckled. "Yes, I miss him too. Who would have thought he would actually become Emperor of Qin? Another day. I have too many matters on my hands right now, but when I get the chance, I'll certainly go see him."

Yucang changed direction. "Can Zijin Cave truly treat you as one of their own? In the end, an outsider is still an outsider. Can they really rest easy with you?"

"I don't understand what you mean. Please speak plainly, Mr. Yucang."

"Qin thirsts for worthy talent. With your ability, why remain here with your hands tied, forced to live beneath others? If you're willing to come to Qin, I give you my word: so long as something benefits Qin, you will have free rein to act. No one will hold you back. His Majesty also very much hopes his teacher will go and lend him a hand."

Surprised, Niu Youdao asked, "Do you think I would agree?"

"I'll leave the offer here. If you're ever willing to come, Qin will welcome you at any time."

Niu Youdao neither refused nor agreed. "You traveled all this way just for this?"

At that, Yucang had to ask seriously, "While we were in Misty Pavilion, Gong Lince suddenly pulled me aside to ask questions. He brought up the secret formula and asked whether you really gave it to Sha Rulai."

Niu Youdao found that amusing. Gong Lince had actually gone and asked. Of course, when Niu Youdao had dragged Yucang's name into the matter in the first place, it had been precisely because he wanted Zijin Cave to question him. "How did you answer?"

"Who else could have told him except you? Naturally, I said it was true. What is it? Is Zijin Cave pressuring you to hand over the formula?"

Niu Youdao raised an eyebrow. "Just because they tell me to hand it over, does that mean I will? They can dream. I've already thought this through. I'll stop brewing on my side and give you full control of the business."

Yucang stared. Such a good thing? He could not help asking, "Are you joking? You would give up such a fat piece of meat so easily?"

"Would you mistreat me?" Niu Youdao raised one finger. "Ten million."

Yucang looked uncertain. "What ten million?"

"I stop brewing here. From now on, Xiaoyue Pavilion will have the only such business beneath Heaven. In return, Xiaoyue Pavilion gives me ten million every year."

Yucang lifted his teacup. "Brother, that joke isn't funny at all. You've already extorted plenty of money from me, and your appetite just keeps growing."

"What do you mean, extorted? That was cooperation. Cooperation entered into willingly by both sides. How does that count as extortion?" Niu Youdao replied. "Mr. Yucang, I'm not joking. I've thought this through carefully. It's good for you and good for me, a win-win arrangement. Think about it. If I start brewing again, or if I hand the formula to Zijin Cave, you'll have two sides selling the same thing. You know what that would mean. But an exclusive business is different. You control the volume, and you set the price. Back when I was in Nanzhou, my resources were limited, so I couldn't raise production. Now Xiaoyue Pavilion controls the entire State of Qin. What does multiplying the output several times amount to? The world is vast, and demand will still exceed supply. One exclusive business, no competition. Is ten million a year to me really too much? If someone else enters the market and the two sides start undercutting each other, spread the year's losses across the volume you sell and they would amount to far more than ten million. Surely you don't need me to teach you how to do the arithmetic."

Yucang frowned, his eyes shifting as he considered it. Then he said, "You make it sound reasonable enough. But once I give you the money, if you change your mind, there's nothing I can do about it."

"You're overthinking it, Mr. Yucang. I'm a man of my word. How about this: you sell first, and every year, after the money comes in, you give me my share. If I break my word and start brewing here again, you don't have to give me anything. With it arranged that way, what is there left for you to worry about?"

"Well..." Yucang fell into thought. If that was truly how it worked, there did not seem to be any problem. If he could really turn it into an exclusive business, it should be all profit and no loss.

He did not agree immediately. It sounded like a good thing, but he still needed to think it over carefully. He was worried there might be some hidden trick.

Yucang's party stayed the night, but they were not lodged at the Maolu Annex. Given his current status, Zijin Cave naturally had to show proper hospitality as host.

After the guests were seen away, Guan Fangyi muttered beside Niu Youdao, "Only ten million... Our territory is larger now. We could earn even more ourselves, so why let someone else make the money?"

Niu Youdao glanced at her. "Do you know why I kept controlling production back at Maolu Villa? Liquor is the sort of thing that causes trouble once you get too deeply involved. If you throw production wide open, the grain it consumes can become disastrous for an entire state. On the Yan side, I can intervene and issue warnings, so there's no need to worry. But Yucang doesn't know the limits. Once he steps into it, sooner or later he'll learn what it feels like to have piles of money in hand and still be unable to buy grain. So many people can't even eat their fill, and he wants to throw production wide open just to make this money?"

There was that much to it? Guan Fangyi was surprised. "You're deliberately setting him up?"

"'Qin thirsts for worthy talent'?" Niu Youdao gave a cold snort. "Xiaoyue Pavilion's ambitions are not small. Let Qin stay weak and depleted for a few more years. That's good for Yan."

Staying inside Zijin Cave was safe and quiet, but beyond the mountains, the world remained turbulent.

After securing the territory already in hand, Yan's three major sects did not want Han to grow too strong. They intended to put on a posture of mobilizing troops and frighten Han into withdrawing its forces from Song.

Meng Shanming in Nanzhou rejected the proposal. He advised against sending troops and recommended letting Han and Song continue grinding against each other, steadily consuming both states' strength. When one side finally could not hold out any longer, Yan could help that side then.

To prevent Han from withdrawing early, Meng Shanming also suggested sending people to negotiate with Han under the pretense of discussing how to partition Song. The talks were to drag on and on without producing a result, keeping Han's national strength tied down and consumed inside Song.

The people who would suffer from this were naturally the commoners of Han and Song. But for a man like Meng Shanming, who was capable of massacring a city, that was not something he would care about.

[End of Chapter 905]